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Merck Finishes
Defense in Vioxx Case

HOUSTON -- Merck & Co. completed a speedy defense presentation in the first federal Vioxx trial after calling to testify just four witnesses over two days.

The Whitehouse Station, N.J., company called to the stand a rheumatologist, two company scientists and a pathologist to try to counter two prongs of the plaintiff's allegations: that Merck knew Vioxx could cause heart attacks and strokes and took steps to conceal the information, and that Vioxx had a hand in the 2001 fatal heart attack of Richard "Dicky" Irvin....